Temperature stress measures summer water temperature, which is a critical driver of habitat suitability for many species. When temperatures get too far above or below an organism’s preferred range for extended periods of time, they simply can not live in those areas. In addition to directly influencing plants and animals, water temperature is a key determinant of water chemistry and ecosystem processes.
How is it measured?
Sites located within a coldwater catchment were assigned as coldwater, all other sites were classified as warmwater. Only summer months (June, July, August) were used for scoring water temperature.
Threshold levels
Observations were scored pass/fail based on a 20℃ threshold for coldwater streams and a 32℃ for warmwater streams. Scoring follows the same approach as other water quality indicators.